Bedrooms and Bathrooms

With more and more baby-boomers maturing in age, the next twenty years will see more people confined to the bedroom and bathroom than ever before. So why not capitalize on this.

Additional bedrooms and bathrooms not only accommodate additional people, they can also offer selection to those who find themselves a little more tired and gaseous than usual.

Adding or renovating bedrooms and bathrooms will no doubt attract potential buyers in the future, but even these days it is a great way to improve your home's resale value.

There are certain things to consider though, before you decide to swallow the excessive costs that can be incurred by attempting to add or renovate bedrooms and bathrooms.

Things to Consider Before Renovating Bedrooms or Bathrooms:

- Does your home currently have two bedrooms or less?

- Does your home currently have two bathrooms or less?

- Does the master bedroom have an ensuite bathroom?

- How many bedrooms and bathrooms do the other houses in your neighborhood have?

- How will your house stack up to others homes in the area once you have remodeled or renovated?

- How much will the remodeling or renovation cost?

- Is there any way to cut down on cost and maintain quality?

- Are you really renovating or remodeling to increase resale value, or to increase convenience for your particular family?

- What is the current housing market like?

Like any other renovation, if the changes to your house are too drastic it may not appeal to others so keep this in mind before you begin building of remodeling.

The changes you make should be necessities, in terms of adding resale value so if you live in a neighborhood where all of the houses have more bedrooms and bathrooms than yours does, you might want to consider upgrading your home.

If you buy a two-bedroom house with one bathroom and turn it into a three-bedroom with two bathrooms your house will almost always appreciate in resale value.

Three and four bedroom houses are the most popular among homebuyers, so if you can stick in that range you will have more potential buyers when it comes time to resell. Five is okay, too, as long as you do not have to pay too much extra for the additional bedroom.

There should always be at least two bathrooms in a house, preferably at least two and a half. One bathroom with a place to wash up for day-to-day visitors, one for the master bedroom, and at least one to be shared by the other bedrooms.

Look at similar houses in the neighborhood to see what types of features they include. If you have a $500,000 to $600,000 house and your bathroom does not have the separate shower, whirlpool tub and a double bowl vanity, you may want to consider updating.

Regardless of your housing price range, focus on projects that bring the house up to the standards of the neighborhood without pushing the price too high. Dont over-improve for your price point, your neighborhood and your style of house.